July!
by Moggie
Summary: [GSR] “Can you believe it! Christmas in July!”


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July!

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Author: **Moggie**

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Pairing: [GSR]

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Rating: PG

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Genre: General.

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Spoilers: None.

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Challenge post in CSI-GrissomSara: Xmas in July Challenge. Pairing- GS of course. Rules- The nightshift exchanges presents in a Secret Santa way in a Las Vegas heat wave. They have to stay in Las Vegas (no vacations). Bonuses- Hot Chocolate, lava lamp, Santa Claus boxers, red and green, ice cream, sledding down a hill, making a snowman. _Challenged by Alison_

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Summary: [GSR] "Can you believe it! Christmas in July!"

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Disclaimer: I do not under any circumstances, own CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, nor any of the characters. It's all fun and games in my mind.

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Notes: I decided to go for a different Xmas approach, I hope you all approve. My first short-fic challenge. Hope you like it.

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"Can you believe it! Christmas in July!" Greg's excited scream brought smiles to everyone's faces, cheering up the party in matter of seconds.

Catherine had invited everyone on nightshift to a special party to start anew. Work had seemed to consume them all in one way or another, some worse than others, over the last few months and she decided it was time to start over and start fresh.

When the idea of a Christmas party came up, it hadn't really gotten the response she wanted, but after planning it with Warrick and Nick, Catherine decided that it was definitely what they needed, disorder in a disordered time.

Sara had been reluctant to even come to the party and Grissom had flat out refused, though both were present and correct with drinks in their hands and at opposite sides of the room, as usual, but only this time, they were sneaking frequent glances at each other.

Greg jumped up and down with overjoyed emotions, plus a few cups of eggnog inside him, singing Christmas songs and bouncing around the place with silly Santa jokes and pulling on party poppers.

Brass and a few others stood or sat, talking and laughing now that the strangeness of a Christmas party had fallen through the cracks into a comfortable environment.

"Time for _Secret Santa_!" Nick announced cheerfully with a bounce in his step as he jumped up and went to get the presents that everyone had brought with them.

"Man," Warrick smirked, refilling his cup with eggnog. "This is so not Christmassy." He shook his head and sat down, looking at the others with an amused grin. "There's no snow for starters."

"It snows?" Sara asked quickly.

Warrick shrugged, smiling at her. "Hasn't snowed in Vegas for years, but this is the desert."

Sara nodded, accepting the explanation. She had a sudden feeling that she hadn't seen it snow in Vegas, which prompted her to ask Warrick in the first place. "Back in Boston, the kids up the street would go _sledging down the hill _in the park and make _snowmen _in the street all Christmas Day."

Though it was odd for Sara to share something personal with a group of people, Grissom noticed she was trying to be more involved with the party.

"Doesn't feel like Christmas without snow." She finished with a small smile.

Warrick nodded. "Yeah, it's way too hot for a cold winter December."

At the mention of the heat, everything thanked the Lord that there was a beautiful invention called 'air conditioning'. They also thanked the Lord that Catherine had it on and was well aware that even though it was a hot Christmas in July, she had remembered that cold drinks and dips were just right for the occasion.

Plus the breeze coming through the windows helped tamper the _heat wave_ to just about bearable. Good thing they weren't forced to stay inside or they'd all be suffering from heat stroke.

Nick walked back into the room and set the piles of presents on the floor in front of the open double doors. "Cath!" He called, smiling when she popped her head around the kitchen door.

"You called?"

"We're doing the Secret Santa now, you want your present?" He teased, waving the small gift that was surely hers by the look on his face.

Presents were handed out and unwrapped, each person throwing questions out, trying to find out who their Secret Santa was.

After they had settled down to eat and talk, Grissom decided to find Sara. She had vanished after opening her present.

Sara looked up when she heard light footfalls on the grass behind her and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Grissom returned her smile and moved around the small picnic table to sit down opposite her. His knees touched hers when he settled, bringing him close to her. He looked down at the box on the table briefly. "Why are you out here by yourself?" He asked.

She just shrugged and smiled. "I'm not now."

Grissom's smile grew. "I see." He shifted on the seat to get comfortable, bringing his hands up to place a box of his own on the table. "You want to see what my Secret Santa brought me?" He asked, eyes twinkling.

Sara grinned and nodded. "Go on then, but I have a feeling I already know what it is."

He chuckled as he lifted the lid off the flat box. "I have to say that I'm shocked."

"Why?" She innocently asked, peering into the box, her head bumping into his as he too peered into it.

"Cuz I very much doubt my Secret Santa knows my size." He said in a hushed voice.

"I bet your Secret Santa knows more than they're letting on." She said, glancing back at the _Santa_ _Claus boxers _with a smug smile.

Grissom tilted his head slightly to see her in a different light, a light that shone down on her and made her glow. His eyes dropped from hers to the box that was a bit larger than his. "You like yours?"

Sara looked down at her present and nodded quietly, biting her lip slightly.

"To keep the nightmares away." Grissom shrugged causally, nervously.

"Thank you." She said, leaning against the small table, bringing herself close to him again. Her eyes strayed to the _lava lamp _sitting in the open box for a moment before settling on his and the boxers with a whimsical smile. "To get you in the spirit of things." Sara whispered close to his ear, catching his eyes when she moved back.

Grissom smirked and blushed, not moving. "Guess I'll have to try them on to see if they fit."

Sara laughed, leaning away from him to stretch her legs under the small table, briefly rubbing them against his. "I'm pretty sure they'll fit."

Blushing again, he looked up when Warrick and Nick, followed by Greg and Brass exited the house and approached them with bottles of beer and snacks.

Nick and Warrick were in the middle of a heated debate about Christmas tradition. Greg was drinking more eggnog and looking a little too chilled out with a huge grin plastered on his face and Brass just chuckled and placed his arm load of goodies on the picnic table Grissom and Sara were seated at.

"Nah man, _Hot Chocolate_." Warrick boasted in earnest.

Nick crooned out in disagreement. "Ice-cream man, red and green ice-cream."

"_Red and green ice-cream_?" Grissom inquired, not hearing that one before.

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The End


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